Unreleased Vinnie Vincent Tracks Set for Launch

Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice, who’s set to take part in Vinnie Vincent’s comeback shows in February, said plans also include the release of eight tracks they recorded together at the end of the ‘70s.

Appice and bassist Tony Franklin were confirmed as special guests for the former Kiss guitarist’s two concerts, which were originally set to take place in December. After the postponement, singer Robert Fleischman bowed out, saying his heart wasn’t in the project.

In a new interview with Eddie Trunk, Appice was asked if the shows were still set to go ahead. “That’s exactly where it stands: I don’t know,” he replied. “I just got an email from Tony. … Before he left [for a tour], he signed the agreement. I signed the agreement. And then Derek, the guy who was handling it, was in the fires in L.A., so he was out of commission for 10 days. He emailed me the other day.

“And I got a call from Vinnie the other day. We talked for an hour and a half and, you know, he’s ready to find a new singer and go do it. He’s looking forward to playing with me and Tony. And I said, ‘Well, I’m looking forward to playing with you again.’”

You can listen to the full interview below:

Appice said he first met Vincent in 1979 as he was putting together a new group called Carmine and the Rockers. “My manager found him and I auditioned him, kinda. He was a good songwriter, a good singer, and a great guitar player," Appice said. "I got about eight songs recorded with Vinnie. … There was one song called ‘Magic’ that Vinnie swears he didn’t play on, but the other three guys in the band said he did play on it, and I knew he played on it.”

He added that an early version of the John Waite song “Tears” was also recorded. “[Vincent] took some of it, rewrote it and gave it to John Waite,” Appice said.

Describing Vincent as a “nice guy” and saying they “got along,” Appice reported that 200 copies of the eight-track LP were to be pressed for sale at the comeback shows in Nashville on Feb. 8 and 9. He said the music was similar to Cheap Trick, containing Beatles-like elements.